The Methods of Propagation of A Japanese New Religion

Preliminary version. Please do not reproduce or quote without
the consent of the author
The Methods of Propagation of A Japanese
New Religion in the UK -- Tenrikyo
1
Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
Assistant Research Fellow
Yueh-po Huang
07/07/16
The Aerial View of Tenrikyo’s Main Sanctuary, the Founder’s
Sanctuary and the Main Entrance
2
The Mikagura Uta (the Songs for the Service)
3
Sazuke (Healing)
 sazuke is accessible to ordinary people and the healing
is so appealing in Japan (or in Taiwan) that devotees
are sometimes willing to come to the Tenrikyo Church
4
Ojibagaeri (Return)
 The first words of greeting received by the pilgrims are ‘welcome home’.
5
Map 1 : The Diffusion of Tenrikyo – the Various Routes to the World
Note:
In East Asia, the Korean route began in 1893; the Taiwan route, in 1897; the China route, in 1914.
In Southeast Asia, the Philippine route began in 1904; the Indonesia route, in 1924; the Laos route, in 1968;
the Vietnam route, in 1970.
In South Asia, the Singapore route began in 1912; in the South Pacific Islands, the Palau route began in 1928;
the India and Sri Lanka route, in 1932; the Thailand route, in 1935; the Nepal route, in 1966;
in Oceania, the Australia route began in 1969; the New Zealand route, in 1987.
In Europe, the England route began in 1910; the German route, in 1968; the France route, 1970.
In North America, the United States route began in 1896; the Mexico route, in 1922.
In South America, the Brazil route began in 1914; the Peru route, in 1931; the Paraguay route, in 1957;
the Ecuador route, in 1961; the Colombia route in 1960; the Argentina route, in 1966;
the Chile route, in 1968; the Venezuela route, in 1995.
In Africa, the Congo route began in 1960; the Kenya route, in 1981; the Uganda route, in 2004.
Source: Morii (2008).
6
It is Japanese new religions’ growth and development in the world
that calls for a more comprehensive study of these movements,
particularly when applied to one single religious organization such
as Tenrikyo. Other scholars have turned their attention to
Tenrikyo’s propagation to other foreign countries such as Brazil,
Singapore, and Taiwan, with a view to understanding whether
Tenrikyo’s overseas expansion follows the same pattern as Japan.
7
Previous Works on Japanese New Religions outside Japan

Mullins and Young (1991)
 suggest that when considering the transplantation of
religions to other countries, caution must be taken in
assessing how religions overcome ethnic and language
boundaries and take foot in foreign soil.

Shimazono (1991)
 took into account the extension of Japan’s economic power in
the world economy and other major factors: the socio-political
conditions of those foreign countries (urbanisation,
industrialisation, tolerance and freedom of religion), the degree
of effort to promote Tenrikyo in local settings and the appeal of
certain Japanese beliefs and practices to local residents.
8
Previous Works on Japanese New Religions outside Japan
Inoue (2007)
 suggested that we attribute the phenomenon of the
expansion of Japanese religions to four underlying and
interrelated causes: missionaries, the geographic
relationship between neighboring continents, colonial
circumstances, and immigration.


Takahashi (2008)
 adopts an organizational perspective …
9
Previous Works on Japanese New Religions outside Japan
Clarke (2007)
 considers the role of globalization of importance to the
spread of Japanese new religions. (as a ‘reverse influence’)


Andrew Barshay (2007)
 the main reasons behind the successful expansion of
Japanese new religions overseas are as follows: the new
religions’ dynamic feature, associated with their ability to
communicate with modern people and gain the militant
strength of people from all walks of life; their syncretistic
practices, blending modernity and tradition; religious and
nonreligious elements; their focus on the here and now, on
simple ritualistic, on the individual and so forth
10
The Tenrikyo Religion in the UK
4 mission stations in or near London
and 1 in Leeds
The Tenrikyo UK Centre,
Photographed on 06/06/10
11
Note: the black spot represents the Tenrikyo UK Centre in London
Methodology
 Ethnographic observation
 Interviews
 Literature analysis and field notes
 from September 2011 to September 2012.
focus on the propagation strategy employed by the
Tenrikyo organization to establish itself in the
contemporary UK
12
Ethnographical account

The Religious Condition of Britain in the Twentieth Century
 Tenrikyo’s missionary activities in the UK are inextricably linked
to a significant change in the religious landscape of Christianity
in Britain in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries is crucial to
the birth and development of Tenrikyo in the contemporary UK.
Brown (1991)
Davie (1994)
Stiles (1995)
13
Ethnographical account

The Religious Condition of Japan in the Twentieth Century
 The history of Tenrikyo in the UK can be traced to several waves
of earlier missionary activities during the twentieth century,
particularly the overseas expansion by Senba Grand Church in
Japan .
(Sotani 1991)
Wumetani Shiroheie, the First Head
of Senba Grand Church
14
The Tenrikyo Religion in the UK
4 mission stations in or near London
and 1 in Leeds
The Tenrikyo UK Centre,
Photographed on 03/01/10
15
Ethnographical account

Tenrikyo Activities and Propagation Strategies in the UK
(a) Japanese and English are the main means of communication, with the former
associated more with mysterious, ritual, and solemn occasions and the latter
more with informal, natural, and secular affairs.
(b) The Tenrikyo UK Centre is regularly funded by Tenrikyo Church Headquarters in
Japan because of its status as an overseas missionary outpost.
(c) Another important strategy that Tenrikyo employs to facilitate its propagation in
the UK is the tactic of adding Japanese cultural activities to its annual
schedule and of running regular advertisements and newsletters.
(d) Mass media and electronic communication also play vital roles.
16
Ethnographical account
Seminar in Kyokushi Mission Station
Photographed on 27/05/12
The 19th Annual Tenrikyo Public Lecture
Photographed on 25/09/10
17
Conclusion
 Tenrikyo has engaged in geographical expansion to the UK through different
historical stages, including the earlier tense political circumstances in Japan
that motivated this new religion to set foot on European soil en route to the
United Kingdom.

The Tenrikyo world view that hastens the realization of universal salvation.

The crucial part played by the Tenrikyo UK Centre.

Still, there are several factors crucial to Tenrikyo’s development in the UK,
not to mention the fact that it has had to compete against other new
religious movements in attracting non-Japanese followers.
18
The challenges and prospective ahead
 The Japanese Expatriate-based Congregation
(Cornille 1991; Pereira and Matsuoka 2007;
Shimazono 1991; Smith 2007; Watanabe 2008),
(Sakashita 1998; Somers 1994; Wilson and
Dobbelaere 1994).
Hinokishin Day in Hyde Park
Photographed on 24/04/11
19

The Cultural and Language Barriers
Relevant Studies

Catherine Cornille (1991)
 saw the unsuccessful inculturation of Mahikari (one
Japanese new religion) in the UK as the major reason
behind that group’s stagnation.
 Fujii (2006)
 found that Tenrikyo’s inculturation policy
was an effective strategy in sustaining this Japanese new
religion’s position…
20
Similar findings
Firstly, there is a conflict between Tenrikyo’s notion of authority and its centralized
organizational structure, and the European idea of democracy in matters of
organization, missionary strategies and teaching.
Secondly, the Christian idea of salvation, a more ambivalent attitude toward magical
healing, and the question of the rationality behind sazuke are unable to square with
Tenrikyo’s vitalistic and this-worldly orientation.
Thirdly, the religious idioms and practices of Tenrikyo such as Mikagura Uta, sazuke are
grounded in Japanese tradition, which European peoples find themselves unfamiliar with.
Fourthly, for the European, ancestor worship is not a traditional practice.
Fifth, while the idea of living kami is attractive and prevalent in Japan, it appears to be
incompatible with the uniqueness of Christ within a predominantly Christian context.
Lastly, European peoples are reluctant to conform to the hierarchical rules that
apply to Japanese people and to accept the notion of Japan as the center of the
world or as the original place of human beings.(For instance, Jiba in Tenrikyo)
21
Interesting findings
The nature of Tenrikyo’s monthly congregation and the
condition of its propagation in the UK are similar to
patterns in Brazil (Clarke 1999; Nakamaki 1991; Pereira
2007: 201) but different from those in Taiwan, Korea, and
Singapore (Hamrin 2000; Shimazono 1991). In Brazil,
Tenrikyo concentrates on people of Japanese descent
(Nakamaki 2003), whilst in Taiwan, Korea, and Singapore it
concentrates on non-Japanese people such as the
Taiwanese, Korean, and Singaporean Chinese communities
(Huang 2016a).
22
The Number of Tenrikyo Overseas Followers around the World from 1998 to 2004
9000
8000
1998
7000
6000
2001
5000
No. of
Persons
4000
3000
2004
2000
1000
0
Country
23
Despite the weak expansion of Japanese new religions to the UK, it
is still worth pondering the question as to the reasons behind the
development of these Japanese religions in Western Europe.
Wilson and Dobbelaere (1994) draw attention to the factors crucial to
the development of Soka Gakkai in the UK. They point out that the
ethics of this new religion – its endorsement of the search for personal
happiness, its emphasis on personal fulfilment, and its request for
adherents to discover their own form of ‘taking responsibility’ – are in
tune with the secular ethos of the UK, where those engaged in the
mass media, entertainment industries and artistic pursuit for personal
freedom and self-expression are most likely to be members of this
movement.
The world view in Tenrikyo’s doctrine may encourage followers
to carry their teachings to the world.
24
Yoki is in essence positive. With yoki, humans hold the real source
of power and they are in control, whether in good or bad
circumstances. By cultivating yoki and exercising that power, mostly
through self-cultivation, one may change external persons and
events. Without yoki, living things become inanimate and die. If
humans cultivate their yoki, they can thus lead a bright and joyful
life called yokigurashi, which is a state that Tenrikyo upholds as its
central tenet.
Thank You for Your Listening
25
Conference cyberproceedings are published for documentary
purposes. the view expressed are the author's and do not
necessarily represent CESNUR's opinions.